One Month Postpartum

It’s been one month with this little guy and my goodness it’s been the best month of my life and it’s also flown by like crazy.

Postpartum life was much easier this time around for whatever reason and I’ve got to say, the transition from one to two has been far easier than the transition from no kids to one. I take the time I need to get ready in the mornings (even if that means screaming kids for 5 minutes), I get showers in regularly, I cook dinner, I clean and I’m pretty much running our home just as I was before Franky. 

With Ava, I felt like the world around me stopped as soon as she arrived. My husband cooked all the meals, the house was a mess, I didn’t put on makeup or real outfits for months (many many months) and while I knew I was doing great as a mom, I felt like I was failing as a wife and a homemaker. 

So in that regard, I am so happy with how my life outside of just the kids is going and I couldn’t be prouder of myself.

But it isn’t all rainbows — I’ve struggled too.

One thing I’ve struggled with as a mom in the past is patience but over the years I’ve really worked on that aspect of being a mom and personally, I feel like I’ve changed for the better I’m so many ways. I’m so incredibly patient with Ava, I talk to her calmly even when I’m boiling inside and I’m just a very well-tempered and patient mama. And that’s something I’ve come a long way on from when I first became a mom.

But these past couple of weeks, I feel like I’ve regressed. I don’t know if Ava’s being more needy with things, if I’m just overly exhausted from less sleep or if it’s just hormones but I’ve felt terrible with how impatient I’ve been as a mom. I’ve raised my voice for silly things, I’ve cried in frustration when there’s really no reason to do so and overall, my patience is lacking. And I know I need to change that. I’m working on it.

Now and update on Ava:

Overall, she’s doing better than expected and better than most people prepared me for. She loves her brother so much and tells us “me love my brother” daily, she hugs him and kisses him and asks to hold him and play with him so everything in regards to Franky, she’s doing great. Better than expected.

But she has regressed in some ways as well:

Potty Training Regression:

She insists that she doesn’t know how to use the potty by herself which has resulted in some accidents since we continue to remind her that “she’s a big girl but still our baby.” So we’ve started rewarded her when she uses the bathroom on her own which seems a bit silly since she’s been potty trained for over a year now.

Bed Time Regression:

Bed times have been a struggle...another regression we aren’t too happy about. If you know how much we’ve struggled making bed time easy for Ava, then you understand that this is the last thing we wanted. And just when that bed time routine has been solid for a good six months now with no tantrums in sight. Well, we’re back to the old Ava where she cries at bed time every single night, she comes out of her room after we put her to bed multiple times a night because “baby Franky woke me up” and I’ve been so frustrated with night times for this reason — I get anxious just thinking about it.

Neediness:

She’s been far more needy but honestly, I don’t mind it one bit. Not like needy in a bad way but when Franky is on my lap, she wants her mama snuggles right then and there which, unless he’s eating, I give to her every time. And all of those snuggles just melt my heart. But there are those times when he’s eating or I just can’t focus on her at the moment because I’m working or doing something that needs to get done and those are the moments that break my heart. There have been so many times when I’ve told her I can’t or I need a minute and her new line is “Okay, me will just play by myself then.” Heart broken. And of course I give in.

But overall, month one of postpartum life has been a dream - I’d give it in A for sure. I may still have 20lbs to lose, I may need to work a lot on my patience and Ava May still be working on adjusting to our new life but hey, we’re all happy and healthy and so in love with our new lives as a family of five and I cannot be more thankful for that. We sure are lucky with everything we’ve got.

Cheers to a positive month TWO of postpartum life and cheers to happy, healthy and beautiful babies I’m so lucky to call my own.